A win at last for Tigers
Generally a score of 23 is something that hardly makes any impression. But on a mad Monday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur where a staggering 17 wickets fell like an avalanche, captain Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten 23 was the cornerstone of Bangladesh's three-wicket win against Zimbabwe.
The dramatic third day of the first Test that witnessed several twists and turns eventually boiled down to a point from where Mushfiqur, with little yet significant contributions from the tail, navigated the Tigers to their first win in any format of the game against a Test playing nation this year.
It was also a day that young Taijul Islam would relish for the rest of his life. After a magnificent performance with ball that saw the left-arm spinner taking 8 wickets for 39 runs, the cricketer from Rajshahi also fittingly ended the nervy chase of an otherwise simple winning target of 101 by hitting the winning four through the backward square leg.
But he must thank his captain Mushfiqur for that precious unbeaten knock for not letting his individual achievement go in vain.
In the face of a batting carnage, the little right-hander showed how one should apply during his one and a half hour stay at the middle and why technically he is considered as the best batsman in the side on way to end his side's 14-match losing streak.
While others once again fell at the drop of a hat on a pitch that offered significant bounce which a shipshape Zimbabwe attack exploited with aplomb and almost threatened to run over Bangladesh's second innings, Mushfiqur played with such authority that even an aggressive opposition captain Brendan Taylor resorted to defensive field setting for him.
An easy win seemed to be a reality for the home side when Zimbabwe were caught in the Taijul's web and were bundled out for 114 runs just after the lunch break.
A shockwave ran through the veins of a million home fans when Tamim Iqbal, Shamsur Rahman and Mominul Haque returned to the pavilion with the scoreboard reading a staggering 0-3.
Bounce and seam untied Tamim while Mominul paid the price for unjustly driving on the top. Shamsur dragged a wide Tinashe Panyangara-delivery onto his stumps.
Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan repaired the damage by adding 46 runs for the fourth wicket but they never looked comfortable and both survived at gully, where John Nyumbu was the culprit.
But both refused to learn from their mistakes. Tendai Chatara produced a back of a length delivery away to get Shakib's outside edge and Chigumbura tempted Riyad to drag a slower ball onto his stumps for 28, the highest score in the Bangladesh second innings.
In the same over Chigumbura dismissed Shuvagoto Hom, who looked like a fish out of water, to throw the challenge to Mushfiqur for scoring another 39 runs with the tail enders.
Shahadat lost his composure after hitting a six and the hosts were reduced 82 for 7. Mushfiqur however kept his calm and encouraged Taijul (15 not out) to safely take the ship to the shore.
Earlier, going by the first two days proceedings nobody expected a third-day finish. But the Zimbabwean batsmen stumbled against the flight and turn of Taijul, who started the carnage by removing Vusi Sibanda in the fourth over of the day.
Taijul got ample support from pacer Shahadat, who took the second wicket as Hamilton Masakadza shouldered arms to an in-dipper to lose his off stump, and Shakib, who claimed the other wicket of Nyumbu.
With a long-cherished win, impressive bowling and sordid batting the Tigers will now go to Khulna to play the second Test starting from November 3.
Numbers Game
8 for 39: Taijul Islam's figures are the best by a Bangladeshi. He beat Shakib Al Hasan's 7 for 36 taken in 2008. This is also the third best bowling stats by a slow left-armer in a Test innings.
114: Zimbabwe's 114 in the second innings is the lowest total any team has been bowled out for by Bangladesh. This was also the fifth instance of a team getting bowled out below 200 against the Tigers.
0 for 3: The worst-ever start in Test cricket for the Tigers. Other teams who have lost three or more wickets with zero runs on board are Australia, India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. India's 0 for 4 in 1952 tops the list.
17: The number of wickets that fell on the third day yesterday -- one short of the Dhaka Test between South Africa and Bangladesh in 2003, which is the highest in Test cricket.
5: This is Bangladesh's fifth win in Test cricket and their first win against a full member nation in any format this year.
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